Recommendations for profile sanding raised panels

[Don Morris]

I was hesitant to do much in the way of profile sanding the few raised panels I've done, and not overly excited with my timid results. In Marc Sommerfelds video he uses a pad of some sort and Klingspor's catalog shows some "sanding mops" that look like they would amount to the same thing. I have several raised panels to do in the near future and was wondering what experienced panel makers use and recommend so as not to lose the detail. Thanks for your input.

[glenn bradley]

You may be talking about something like this although I do use the more block-like sponges as well. I bought them on a lark and use them an amazing amount of the time: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=20183&cat=1,42500

[Sam Yerardi]

I made a scraper to match the profile (see my posting (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=75042) today). The panels remained crisp which I think I would have lost if I sanded them.

[Chris Padilla]

You may be talking about something like this although I do use the more block-like sponges as well. I bought them on a lark and use them an amazing amount of the time: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=20183&cat=1,42500


I have those very same sanding contour pads...they are very nice and work very well.

[Don Morris]

My concern is that the profile I'm making this time is the Sommerfeld Shaker style and has a right angle edge on the panel. I don't want to lose that edge so I think the scraper sounds good for that and the rubber pads may be OK for the other contours. Dilemmas, dilemmas.

[keith ouellette]

I read about a trick where a mold of the profile from scrap wood was made out of some kind of cheap rubber compound. I remember it was sold in hobby shops. Then a thin sanding pad was glued over that to make it soft and then sand paper was used over that to sand the contour.

[Dean Baehman]

Found these articles on the web for making custom sanding blocks.
http://www.ronhazelton.com/howto/custom_sanding_blocks.htm

http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/17573/

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

I've seen custom profile sanding blocks made by laying up bondo over your profile with wax paper in between. After its set, replace the wax paper with sandpaper, and away you go.

Tim

[Jamie Buxton]

I've seen custom profile sanding blocks made by laying up bondo over your profile with wax paper in between. After its set, replace the wax paper with sandpaper, and away you go.

Tim

That works, but make the sanding block on a scrap piece of profile. The bondo heats up as it cures, and melts the wax from the paper into the wood. It still seperates properly, but it does stain the wood.

[David Giles]

I've tried Bondo over waxed paper. I've bought the linear Festool profile sander. I've scraped with old router bits.

The Lee Valley profile rubber sanding blocks get the most use.